Gavin Starks
@dgen.net
Pinned
Gavin Starks
@dgen.net
· May 28
https://dgen.net/0/2026/05/12/constellation
dgen.net
The WELL (1985), Metafilter (1999), now I'm having a go (2026), with considerably less ambition & more fun: a private, hand-curated directory of people who might enjoy connecting. If you are seeing this post, that's probably you. https://dgen.net/0/2026/05/12/constellation Sign up: https://d.cl8.io
Today in "billionaire can only think in billions":
Bill Gates warns AI could cause ‘a billion deaths’
https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/f4913aa5-6739-4cca-8dd9-a42c5a3727ba
Bill Gates warns AI could cause ‘a billion deaths’
https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/f4913aa5-6739-4cca-8dd9-a42c5a3727ba
Security Verification
giftarticle.ft.com
September 25, 2026 at 2:36 PM
Today in "billionaire can only think in billions":
Bill Gates warns AI could cause ‘a billion deaths’
https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/f4913aa5-6739-4cca-8dd9-a42c5a3727ba
Bill Gates warns AI could cause ‘a billion deaths’
https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/f4913aa5-6739-4cca-8dd9-a42c5a3727ba
The market cannot trust infrastructure it cannot inspect. Should trust frameworks be digital public infrastructure?
https://ib1.org/trust-services/
https://ib1.org/trust-services/
September 23, 2026 at 3:28 PM
The market cannot trust infrastructure it cannot inspect. Should trust frameworks be digital public infrastructure?
https://ib1.org/trust-services/
https://ib1.org/trust-services/
Today in we're not ready:
On a potential "US operation against a Chinese vessel"—"a chatbot the analyst used inaccurately identified the material the ship was carrying” [and] “almost started a war” a source said
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/18/politics/us-military-ai-false-intelligence-china-ship
On a potential "US operation against a Chinese vessel"—"a chatbot the analyst used inaccurately identified the material the ship was carrying” [and] “almost started a war” a source said
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/18/politics/us-military-ai-false-intelligence-china-ship
Exclusive: US military had close call after using AI for false intelligence report, sources say | CNN Politics
The episode shows the risks of using this new, relatively poorly understood technology in the middle of the Iran war
edition.cnn.com
September 21, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Today in we're not ready:
On a potential "US operation against a Chinese vessel"—"a chatbot the analyst used inaccurately identified the material the ship was carrying” [and] “almost started a war” a source said
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/18/politics/us-military-ai-false-intelligence-china-ship
On a potential "US operation against a Chinese vessel"—"a chatbot the analyst used inaccurately identified the material the ship was carrying” [and] “almost started a war” a source said
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/09/18/politics/us-military-ai-false-intelligence-china-ship
Today in we're not even at the start of all this yet are we?
"If we build a superintelligence, we will first fall in love with it. Then we will worship it. Finally we will make sacrifices to it."
https://futurism.com/future-society/cult-anthropic-insiders-worshipping-claude-god
"If we build a superintelligence, we will first fall in love with it. Then we will worship it. Finally we will make sacrifices to it."
https://futurism.com/future-society/cult-anthropic-insiders-worshipping-claude-god
Cult of Anthropic Insiders Rumored to Be Worshipping Claude as a God
According to a rumor that is apparently running rampant in Silicon Valley these days, some Anthropic engineers are "worshipping" Claude.
futurism.com
September 18, 2026 at 8:55 AM
Today in we're not even at the start of all this yet are we?
"If we build a superintelligence, we will first fall in love with it. Then we will worship it. Finally we will make sacrifices to it."
https://futurism.com/future-society/cult-anthropic-insiders-worshipping-claude-god
"If we build a superintelligence, we will first fall in love with it. Then we will worship it. Finally we will make sacrifices to it."
https://futurism.com/future-society/cult-anthropic-insiders-worshipping-claude-god
Today in I really doubt we've thought this through.
I think I'm more concerned about self-replicating tech-bros than I am about ai.
I think I'm more concerned about self-replicating tech-bros than I am about ai.
September 17, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Today in I really doubt we've thought this through.
I think I'm more concerned about self-replicating tech-bros than I am about ai.
I think I'm more concerned about self-replicating tech-bros than I am about ai.
Today in 'we're not ready':
How many questions you ask at once changes model accuracy dramatically.
https://kevinmd.com/2026/09/why-prompt-engineering-in-medicine-beats-picking-a-model.html
How many questions you ask at once changes model accuracy dramatically.
https://kevinmd.com/2026/09/why-prompt-engineering-in-medicine-beats-picking-a-model.html
Error 403 Forbidden
kevinmd.com
September 16, 2026 at 8:25 AM
Today in 'we're not ready':
How many questions you ask at once changes model accuracy dramatically.
https://kevinmd.com/2026/09/why-prompt-engineering-in-medicine-beats-picking-a-model.html
How many questions you ask at once changes model accuracy dramatically.
https://kevinmd.com/2026/09/why-prompt-engineering-in-medicine-beats-picking-a-model.html
Today in you're not ready:
Your ai conversations may be being read by humans. I wonder what you will stop doing because of this?
https://www.404media.co/inside-project-lily-the-humans-reading-your-chatgpt-chats/
Your ai conversations may be being read by humans. I wonder what you will stop doing because of this?
https://www.404media.co/inside-project-lily-the-humans-reading-your-chatgpt-chats/
Inside ‘Project Lily’: The Humans Reading Your ChatGPT Chats
Humans are reading ChatGPT users’ prompts to improve OpenAI’s models, and those chats can include sensitive, personal information, according to leaked internal documents and real prompts seen by 404 Media.
www.404media.co
September 14, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Today in you're not ready:
Your ai conversations may be being read by humans. I wonder what you will stop doing because of this?
https://www.404media.co/inside-project-lily-the-humans-reading-your-chatgpt-chats/
Your ai conversations may be being read by humans. I wonder what you will stop doing because of this?
https://www.404media.co/inside-project-lily-the-humans-reading-your-chatgpt-chats/
discuss: "The UK has built the strongest innovation position it’s had since the late Victorian period" vs
"is quietly handing its most valuable public intangible assets to (mainly) US tech companies for the equivalent of modern beads"
https://articape.substack.com/p/act-v-the-country-as-a-p-and-l
"is quietly handing its most valuable public intangible assets to (mainly) US tech companies for the equivalent of modern beads"
https://articape.substack.com/p/act-v-the-country-as-a-p-and-l
Act V: The Country as a P&L
Why the Treasury Can’t See What Britain Owns
articape.substack.com
September 11, 2026 at 9:08 AM
discuss: "The UK has built the strongest innovation position it’s had since the late Victorian period" vs
"is quietly handing its most valuable public intangible assets to (mainly) US tech companies for the equivalent of modern beads"
https://articape.substack.com/p/act-v-the-country-as-a-p-and-l
"is quietly handing its most valuable public intangible assets to (mainly) US tech companies for the equivalent of modern beads"
https://articape.substack.com/p/act-v-the-country-as-a-p-and-l
Today in "we're not ready"
"Anthropic Is Building a Predictive Surveillance System to Monitor Activists"
https://prospect.org/2026/09/09/anthropic-artificial-intelligence-surveillance-system-monitor-activists/
"Anthropic Is Building a Predictive Surveillance System to Monitor Activists"
https://prospect.org/2026/09/09/anthropic-artificial-intelligence-surveillance-system-monitor-activists/
Anthropic Is Building a Predictive Surveillance System to Monitor Activists - The American Prospect
New hires and comments in interviews show that the AI giant is using its capabilities against dissenters.
prospect.org
September 10, 2026 at 11:30 AM
Today in "we're not ready"
"Anthropic Is Building a Predictive Surveillance System to Monitor Activists"
https://prospect.org/2026/09/09/anthropic-artificial-intelligence-surveillance-system-monitor-activists/
"Anthropic Is Building a Predictive Surveillance System to Monitor Activists"
https://prospect.org/2026/09/09/anthropic-artificial-intelligence-surveillance-system-monitor-activists/
IB1 response to DSIT’s Data regulation in the age of AI
tl;dr - data governance is lagging AI capabilities; address with open standards, clear purposes, machine-readable rules, provenance and audit frameworks
https://ib1.org/2026/09/10/response-to-dsits-data-regulation-in-the-age-of-ai/
tl;dr - data governance is lagging AI capabilities; address with open standards, clear purposes, machine-readable rules, provenance and audit frameworks
https://ib1.org/2026/09/10/response-to-dsits-data-regulation-in-the-age-of-ai/
IB1 response to DSIT’s Data regulation in the age of AI and other data-intensive technologies call for evidence – Icebreaker One
ib1.org
September 10, 2026 at 11:08 AM
IB1 response to DSIT’s Data regulation in the age of AI
tl;dr - data governance is lagging AI capabilities; address with open standards, clear purposes, machine-readable rules, provenance and audit frameworks
https://ib1.org/2026/09/10/response-to-dsits-data-regulation-in-the-age-of-ai/
tl;dr - data governance is lagging AI capabilities; address with open standards, clear purposes, machine-readable rules, provenance and audit frameworks
https://ib1.org/2026/09/10/response-to-dsits-data-regulation-in-the-age-of-ai/
Today in "this may resonate with some of you"
Over the past NaN decades, I've heard people saying they don't want to re-invent the wheel, often while I can see them holding a piece of wood that they are whittling it into a wheel. Any tips from the frontline?
Over the past NaN decades, I've heard people saying they don't want to re-invent the wheel, often while I can see them holding a piece of wood that they are whittling it into a wheel. Any tips from the frontline?
September 9, 2026 at 5:35 PM
Today in "this may resonate with some of you"
Over the past NaN decades, I've heard people saying they don't want to re-invent the wheel, often while I can see them holding a piece of wood that they are whittling it into a wheel. Any tips from the frontline?
Over the past NaN decades, I've heard people saying they don't want to re-invent the wheel, often while I can see them holding a piece of wood that they are whittling it into a wheel. Any tips from the frontline?
today in "we're not ready":
"you only proved how far silicon valley will go to prostitute scientific integrity for capitalist spectacle" (apologies,X link)
story: https://www.wired.com/story/openai-navier-stokes-math-discovery-academics
rant: https://x.com/BetterCallMedhi/status/2097472336257863722
"you only proved how far silicon valley will go to prostitute scientific integrity for capitalist spectacle" (apologies,X link)
story: https://www.wired.com/story/openai-navier-stokes-math-discovery-academics
rant: https://x.com/BetterCallMedhi/status/2097472336257863722
OpenAI Just Claimed a Huge Math Discovery. Some Academics Are Crying Foul
A landmark announcement by the frontier AI lab has been overshadowed by accusations of impropriety.
www.wired.com
September 9, 2026 at 1:01 PM
today in "we're not ready":
"you only proved how far silicon valley will go to prostitute scientific integrity for capitalist spectacle" (apologies,X link)
story: https://www.wired.com/story/openai-navier-stokes-math-discovery-academics
rant: https://x.com/BetterCallMedhi/status/2097472336257863722
"you only proved how far silicon valley will go to prostitute scientific integrity for capitalist spectacle" (apologies,X link)
story: https://www.wired.com/story/openai-navier-stokes-math-discovery-academics
rant: https://x.com/BetterCallMedhi/status/2097472336257863722
Today in 'we're not ready'
"we cannot rule out that de-identified data derived from their usage of our products helped improve our models" https://www.wired.com/story/openai-navier-stokes-math-discovery-academics/
"we cannot rule out that de-identified data derived from their usage of our products helped improve our models" https://www.wired.com/story/openai-navier-stokes-math-discovery-academics/
OpenAI Just Claimed a Huge Math Discovery. Some Academics Are Crying Foul
A landmark announcement by the frontier AI lab has been overshadowed by accusations of impropriety.
www.wired.com
September 9, 2026 at 7:32 AM
Today in 'we're not ready'
"we cannot rule out that de-identified data derived from their usage of our products helped improve our models" https://www.wired.com/story/openai-navier-stokes-math-discovery-academics/
"we cannot rule out that de-identified data derived from their usage of our products helped improve our models" https://www.wired.com/story/openai-navier-stokes-math-discovery-academics/
Less reporting, same demand for SME data. Here's what the UK's corporate reporting overhaul means for Perseus
https://ib1.org/2026/09/08/uk-corporate-reporting-overhaul/
https://ib1.org/2026/09/08/uk-corporate-reporting-overhaul/
September 8, 2026 at 12:14 PM
Less reporting, same demand for SME data. Here's what the UK's corporate reporting overhaul means for Perseus
https://ib1.org/2026/09/08/uk-corporate-reporting-overhaul/
https://ib1.org/2026/09/08/uk-corporate-reporting-overhaul/
today in 'the data gap is leadership':
"Thirty years of digital identity programs, sorted by how they actually failed, and why the half of the system that decides adoption is the half nobody funds"
https://rmhrisk.github.io/verifier-never-showed-up/
"Thirty years of digital identity programs, sorted by how they actually failed, and why the half of the system that decides adoption is the half nobody funds"
https://rmhrisk.github.io/verifier-never-showed-up/
The Verifier Never Showed Up
rmhrisk.github.io
September 7, 2026 at 9:00 AM
today in 'the data gap is leadership':
"Thirty years of digital identity programs, sorted by how they actually failed, and why the half of the system that decides adoption is the half nobody funds"
https://rmhrisk.github.io/verifier-never-showed-up/
"Thirty years of digital identity programs, sorted by how they actually failed, and why the half of the system that decides adoption is the half nobody funds"
https://rmhrisk.github.io/verifier-never-showed-up/
today in "we're not ready":
"New research published by the Loss of Control Observatory shows that AI loss of control incidents are worsening significantly."
https://www.longtermresilience.org/reports/ai-loss-of-control-incidents-are-worsening-shows-cltr-analysis/
"New research published by the Loss of Control Observatory shows that AI loss of control incidents are worsening significantly."
https://www.longtermresilience.org/reports/ai-loss-of-control-incidents-are-worsening-shows-cltr-analysis/
403 - Forbidden
www.longtermresilience.org
September 5, 2026 at 9:30 AM
today in "we're not ready":
"New research published by the Loss of Control Observatory shows that AI loss of control incidents are worsening significantly."
https://www.longtermresilience.org/reports/ai-loss-of-control-incidents-are-worsening-shows-cltr-analysis/
"New research published by the Loss of Control Observatory shows that AI loss of control incidents are worsening significantly."
https://www.longtermresilience.org/reports/ai-loss-of-control-incidents-are-worsening-shows-cltr-analysis/
today in "we're not ready": taking enshittification to entirely new dimensions
There are so many things in this article, I'm not even sure where to begin
https://bayareacurrent.com/theres-a-lot-of-cleaning-up-poop-a-depot-worker-on-the-human-labor-behind-waymos-autonomous-vehicles
There are so many things in this article, I'm not even sure where to begin
https://bayareacurrent.com/theres-a-lot-of-cleaning-up-poop-a-depot-worker-on-the-human-labor-behind-waymos-autonomous-vehicles
Cleaning Up Poop: The Human Labor Behind Waymo
Human feces isn’t even the nastiest thing they’ve found in the backseat.
bayareacurrent.com
September 4, 2026 at 8:30 AM
today in "we're not ready": taking enshittification to entirely new dimensions
There are so many things in this article, I'm not even sure where to begin
https://bayareacurrent.com/theres-a-lot-of-cleaning-up-poop-a-depot-worker-on-the-human-labor-behind-waymos-autonomous-vehicles
There are so many things in this article, I'm not even sure where to begin
https://bayareacurrent.com/theres-a-lot-of-cleaning-up-poop-a-depot-worker-on-the-human-labor-behind-waymos-autonomous-vehicles
ideas remain in superposition until they are spoken #BinaryDust
September 2, 2026 at 4:38 PM
ideas remain in superposition until they are spoken #BinaryDust
Today in 'we're not ready':
"How AI is breaking the British state: Equipped with models and agents, citizens could bring government to a halt"
[likely slow, slow, fast here as with most exponential change]
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/08/06/how-ai-is-breaking-the-british-state
"How AI is breaking the British state: Equipped with models and agents, citizens could bring government to a halt"
[likely slow, slow, fast here as with most exponential change]
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/08/06/how-ai-is-breaking-the-british-state
Just a moment...
www.economist.com
September 2, 2026 at 2:59 PM
Today in 'we're not ready':
"How AI is breaking the British state: Equipped with models and agents, citizens could bring government to a halt"
[likely slow, slow, fast here as with most exponential change]
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/08/06/how-ai-is-breaking-the-british-state
"How AI is breaking the British state: Equipped with models and agents, citizens could bring government to a halt"
[likely slow, slow, fast here as with most exponential change]
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/08/06/how-ai-is-breaking-the-british-state
"enormous section of a glacier in the Himalayas...crashed on to the valley floor...because of warming due to human-caused climate change"
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/27/nepal-tibet-flash-flood-visual-guide-why-how-flooding-happened-floods-cause-reason-explained
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/27/nepal-tibet-flash-flood-visual-guide-why-how-flooding-happened-floods-cause-reason-explained
How the deadly Nepal and Tibet flash flood unfolded – a visual guide
US Geological Survey says massive glacial collapse caused catastrophic flash floods in the Himalayan border region of Nepal and Tibet
www.theguardian.com
August 27, 2026 at 9:15 AM
"enormous section of a glacier in the Himalayas...crashed on to the valley floor...because of warming due to human-caused climate change"
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/27/nepal-tibet-flash-flood-visual-guide-why-how-flooding-happened-floods-cause-reason-explained
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/27/nepal-tibet-flash-flood-visual-guide-why-how-flooding-happened-floods-cause-reason-explained
Today in we're not ready:
Is this *really* a good reason to triple datacentre capacity in Europe?
https://rtl.chrisadams.me.uk/2026/07/is-this-really-a-good-reason-to-triple-datacentre-capacity-in-europe/
Is this *really* a good reason to triple datacentre capacity in Europe?
https://rtl.chrisadams.me.uk/2026/07/is-this-really-a-good-reason-to-triple-datacentre-capacity-in-europe/
Is this *really* a good reason to triple datacentre capacity in Europe? - Reads, Takes and Links
As part of my day job, I end up thinking a lot about the decarbonisation of the digital sector. Recently we have seen laws proposed to prioritise building a bunch of massive datacentres in Europe ahead of actually following the science and taking the steps to clean up the economy. Some information has become available […]
rtl.chrisadams.me.uk
August 26, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Today in we're not ready:
Is this *really* a good reason to triple datacentre capacity in Europe?
https://rtl.chrisadams.me.uk/2026/07/is-this-really-a-good-reason-to-triple-datacentre-capacity-in-europe/
Is this *really* a good reason to triple datacentre capacity in Europe?
https://rtl.chrisadams.me.uk/2026/07/is-this-really-a-good-reason-to-triple-datacentre-capacity-in-europe/
Today in ecosystem change:
This article highlights a shift in global trade without a single mention of climate change.
"China’s Arctic Silk Road is now a reality"
https://www.bruegel.org/first-glance/chinas-arctic-silk-road-now-reality
This article highlights a shift in global trade without a single mention of climate change.
"China’s Arctic Silk Road is now a reality"
https://www.bruegel.org/first-glance/chinas-arctic-silk-road-now-reality
China’s Arctic Silk Road is now a reality
While China flexes its economic muscle in partnership with Russia, the United States struggles to realise its own Arctic shipping options
www.bruegel.org
August 26, 2026 at 9:57 AM
Today in ecosystem change:
This article highlights a shift in global trade without a single mention of climate change.
"China’s Arctic Silk Road is now a reality"
https://www.bruegel.org/first-glance/chinas-arctic-silk-road-now-reality
This article highlights a shift in global trade without a single mention of climate change.
"China’s Arctic Silk Road is now a reality"
https://www.bruegel.org/first-glance/chinas-arctic-silk-road-now-reality
Today in "we're not ready":
In which one may ask questions as to who is out of touch with which reality?
“$1 trillion is the new unicorn right now,” Sharka told Semafor. “If you don’t talk about $1 trillion, you are out of touch.”
https://thenextweb.com/news/domyn-raises-1bn-debt-colosseum-italy
In which one may ask questions as to who is out of touch with which reality?
“$1 trillion is the new unicorn right now,” Sharka told Semafor. “If you don’t talk about $1 trillion, you are out of touch.”
https://thenextweb.com/news/domyn-raises-1bn-debt-colosseum-italy
Milan’s Domyn raises over $1bn Europe’s largest AI round, mostly in debt
Milan-based Domyn has raised about $1.1bn, roughly 90% of it debt, to expand the Colosseum supercomputer it built with Nvidia in southern Italy.
thenextweb.com
August 25, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Today in "we're not ready":
In which one may ask questions as to who is out of touch with which reality?
“$1 trillion is the new unicorn right now,” Sharka told Semafor. “If you don’t talk about $1 trillion, you are out of touch.”
https://thenextweb.com/news/domyn-raises-1bn-debt-colosseum-italy
In which one may ask questions as to who is out of touch with which reality?
“$1 trillion is the new unicorn right now,” Sharka told Semafor. “If you don’t talk about $1 trillion, you are out of touch.”
https://thenextweb.com/news/domyn-raises-1bn-debt-colosseum-italy
Today in you're not ready: https://kuber.studio/cookie
(try it if you'd like to understand what's already happening)
(try it if you'd like to understand what's already happening)
I didn
Everything this page knows about you, it learned in under two seconds. Without a cookie, a permission prompt, or a click.
kuber.studio
August 24, 2026 at 6:26 PM
Today in you're not ready: https://kuber.studio/cookie
(try it if you'd like to understand what's already happening)
(try it if you'd like to understand what's already happening)